Businesses need to make a good first impression on any potential customers, and the key way of doing this is with an eye catching and informative sign.
Business signs can be for anything from a shop front to advertising a contractor; the sign can either bring people in or send them running for the hills!
Good signs successfully promote the specific brand by being clear, informative and above all, attention grabbing. This helps potential customers decide whether the brand is a legitimate one or a waste of their money. Therefore it is not only important to think about what the sign says about the business, but also where it is best placed.
Being seen is to exist, and for businesses it is therefore particularly important to be seen. A sign on a building façade is a first step, but business signs are also created for purposes other than exterior visibility. They can just as easily show the way to offices or departments, or provide information on opening hours, prices or menus.
Business signage has many different functions – What do you need?
The functions of business signs
Show
Perhaps the most important sign for a business is a large one featuring the business name and often also indicating what services and products are for sale. These generally also feature a company logo and are attached to the building façade.
The size of the sign, and what it is made of, may vary, depending on the environment in which the business operates. Materials recommended for outdoor business signage include plastic, aluminium or acrylic, as these can cope with the wind and weather much better than other materials.
Guide
Many business signs also have a guiding function. They show the way to the entrance, who works in the different offices and how to find the various departments. Such signs can be found in lifts and corridors, as well as on doors and walls. All to ensure that visitors, customers or patients end up in the right place.
Inform
It is also common for business signage to have an informative function. This can involve everything from opening hours to indicating the need for protective clothing within a specific area. When creating such signs, you should start with their intended location, and then create a sign that will be clearly visible to ensure the information reaches its target group.
Company sign to attract new customers
When it comes to company signs that are to present the company name or logo at a longer distance and as outdoor signage, it is important to have a clear sign and a larger sign. On the one hand, this will help customers find you, but above all to attract new potential customers who have not visited your company before. If the company sign is to adorn the facade and to promote your brand, it can be important that the sign is large enough - so customers can see and find you.
Indoor signage
Company signs for indoor use, you can choose which material you would prefer. Consider where and how the sign should be placed and what you want the sign to show.
Outdoor signage
For outdoor business signs we recommend aluminium signs, acrylic signs and plastic signs. These materials can cope with both weather and wind better than other materials, and be used both for indoor and outdoor. Design custom signs for external signage in our easy to use Design Maker - we have a huge range of colors, images and fonts to choose between.
What should the company sign convey?
Sometimes it's difficult to know what kind of sign you need and what material would work best for a business sign. Something you can do is to think about what the purpose is and what the company sign should convey in the first place. Should the company sign be hanged outside to attract attention outdoors? Or is the company sign to be placed indoors to inform guest and visitors to the right place? Business signs for indoor use you can choose the material that you would prefer. For outdoor business signs we recommend choosing materials such as aluminum, acrylic or plastic signs as these materials cope with weather.
Business Sign Designs
The Basics
For a shop the signage ought to be clean and clear, easily readable. Keeping it lit and well maintained goes a long way to establishing the way the business is run. Including what the business specifically does is also helpful, as it may on occasion not otherwise be clear. The sign should also be kept free from any obstructions that will make it less visible to the public. If it is to be a billboard style sign for the business, then make sure it has the name, logo, address, phone number and other contact details clearly displayed. It is important that customers can actually get in touch. It is also useful for signs to contain an action or slogan of some sort. Customers respond well to being told what they are expected to do, and a catchy slogan can be easy to remember for a customer in the future.
Design Tips
Colour is of course important as bolder colours will be more appealing, and of course stand out. Contrasting and complimentary colours will go a long way towards making this happen. The text should be in a readable font that is simple, with both uppercase and lowercase letters featured. The font should also be consistent throughout. Whilst it is important to put across the message; the fewer words used in doing so, the better. Inserting a few graphics can also make the sign memorable to passers-by.
Placement
An outdoor sign should be big enough to be seen but not too distracting, especially for drivers. It should also not be too far from the actual business. Indoor signs should be placed in the relevant positions within the building, for example, placing the sale sign near the sale items.
